NEW ORLEANS – Throughout February, The National WWII Museum celebrates Black History Month by honoring the extraordinary contributions and achievements of African Americans during World War II. More than 1.2 million African Americans served in the US Armed Forces during World War II, contributing to Allied victories in Europe and the Pacific and on the Home Front. The Museum’s schedule of free educational programs and additional online content, including oral history videos and original articles, will explore the experiences of African Americans who fought two battles during the war, one against the Axis forces abroad and one against racism at home.
The Museum’s virtual and in-person programs are sponsored by AARP Louisiana and will feature discussions and a film screening on African American wartime contributions by leading scholars, historians, and educators. Virtual programs will be broadcast live and also available for on-demand viewing on the Museum’s YouTube channel.
To learn more and to register for the events below, visit www.nationalww2museum.org.
Wednesday, February 2 at 11:00 a.m. CT
This is a free, virtual event.
Iconic entertainer of the Jazz Age Josephine Baker responded to the start of World War II by becoming a spy for the French Resistance. Traveling to regions occupied by the enemy, Baker used her celebrity to gain access to high-ranking Axis officials, passing on intelligence in support of the Free French effort led by Charles de Gaulle. The American-expat-turned-French-citizen remained an active supporter of the French Resistance throughout the war, earning the Croix de Guerre and Rosette de la Résistance from General de Gaulle at the war’s end.
In this lecture, hear Historian Dr. Kristen D. Burton, Lecturer of US History at The University of Alberta, delve into the life, artistry, and espionage of a true icon of the generation. A vocal supporter of civil rights and the fight against fascism, Josephine Baker became one of the unsung heroes of the war effort, operating secretly behind enemy lines, hidden behind the guise of her female celebrity.
Tuesday, February 15
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CT, presentation and screening at 6:00 p.m. CT
This is a free, in-person event.
This in-person screening of the Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated musical feature film Carmen Jones is part of the Museum’s Reel History Film Series. With all the markings of a tragic love story, Carmen Jones tells the story of a young and beautiful woman who gets into trouble while working in a parachute factory within an all-African American Army camp and must be delivered to the civilian authorities by the handsome and engaged Corporal Joe.
Premiering in 1954 right at the start of the Civil Rights Movement, Carmen Jones took Hollywood by storm with a twist on the classic opera Carmen. With an all-African American cast featuring Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll, the film made history with Dandridge becoming the first African American woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Leading Actress.
Ahead of the screening, learn more about the film’s reflection of the African American experience in World War II, significance in the decades after the war, and impact on the Civil Rights Movement from Dr. Marcus Cox, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs and Summer School, and Director of the Center for Continuing Studies and Distance Education in the College of Arts & Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana.
- Student Webinar: The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion: The African American Heroes of the D-Day Invasion (This webinar is appropriate for grades K-12.)
Thursday, February 17 at 12:00 p.m. CT
This is a free, virtual event.
Learn about the brave men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion and their extraordinary mission to help protect US soldiers during the D-Day Invasions on June 6, 1944. The 320th was the only unit to storm the beach that day that was composed entirely of African American soldiers. They provided critical protection to the ships and soldiers below them from attacks by enemy aircraft. During the webinar, student audiences will learn about the men of the battalion from interview clips with Linda Hervieux, author of Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War. The webinar will also feature oral history video clips from one of the battalion’s members, William Dabney, and Museum educator Kelly Goodner will discuss how barrage balloons worked and why they were used during the war.
Per City of New Orleans requirements, proof of COVID-19 vaccination (two doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) or a negative COVID-19 PCR/antigen test (taken with 72 hours) is required for entry to all events (applicable to all guests 5 years of age and older) as well as the Museum’s food and beverage outlets (including American Sector Restaurant & Bar and Jeri Nims Soda Shop), BB’s Stage Door Canteen shows, private rentals, and indoor public events. When not actively eating or drinking, guests are required to wear a mask indoors. For more information, please visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org/know-before-you-go.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that future generations will know the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information on TripAdvisor’s #1 New Orleans attraction, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.
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